PERM, October 19. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has noted that a growing number of Russians are engaging in regular physical exercise and sports.
Over the past four years, the number of exercise enthusiasts has increased by 13 percentage points. The Russian leader reported this at a meeting of the Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Sport.
"We address this topic on a regular basis, placing great emphasis and attention on it both at the federal and regional levels. This is certainly bearing fruit. Over the past four years, the number of Russian citizens who regularly practice sport has grown from 40 to 53%. This is nearly 70 mln people," the president said.
He believes that this trend is a good sign that the goals that have been set will be achieved, and in 2024 physical exercise will become a regular pastime for 55% of Russian citizens, by 2030 - for 70%. "These are the benchmarks we set to assess the effectiveness, productivity of the work of specialized federal agencies, regions, and municipalities in the development of the exercise culture," he added.